Is there any way to kill a zombie process without reboot?
- by Pedram
Is there any way to kill a zombie process without reboot?Here is how it happens:
I wanted to download a 12GB torrent.After adding the .torrent file, transmission turned into a zombie process.I tried ktorrent too.Same behavior.Finally I could download the file using µTorrent but after closing the program, it turns into a zombie as well.
I tried using kill skill and pkill with different options and -9 signal but no success.
In some answers in web I found out killing the parent can kill the zombie, but killing wine didn't help either.
Is there another way?
Edit:
ps -o pid,ppid,stat,comm
PID PPID STAT COMMAND
7121 2692 Ss bash
7317 7121 R+ ps
pstree output:
init---GoogleTalkPlugi---4*[{GoogleTalkPlug}]
+-NetworkManager---dhclient
¦ +-{NetworkManager}
+-acpid
+-apache2---5*[apache2]
+-atd
+-avahi-daemon---avahi-daemon
+-bonobo-activati---{bonobo-activat}
+-clock-applet
+-console-kit-dae---63*[{console-kit-da}]
+-cron
+-cupsd
+-2*[dbus-daemon]
+-2*[dbus-launch]
+-desktopcouch-se---desktopcouch-se
+-explorer.exe
+-firefox---run-mozilla.sh---firefox-bin---plugin-containe---8*[{plugin-contain}]
¦ +-14*[{firefox-bin}]
+-gconfd-2
+-gdm-binary---gdm-simple-slav---Xorg
¦ ¦ +-gdm-session-wor---gnome-session---bluetooth-apple
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-fusion-icon---compiz---sh---gtk-window-deco
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-gdu-notificatio
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-gnome-panel
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-gnome-power-man
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-gpg-agent
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-nautilus---bash
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-{nautilus}
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-nm-applet
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-polkit-gnome-au
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-2*[python]
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-qstardict---{qstardict}
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-ssh-agent
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-tracker-applet
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-trackerd
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-wakoopa---wakoopa
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-3*[{wakoopa}]
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ +-{gnome-session}
¦ ¦ ¦ +-{gdm-session-wo}
¦ ¦ +-{gdm-simple-sla}
¦ +-{gdm-binary}
+-6*[getty]
+-gnome-keyring-d---2*[{gnome-keyring-}]
+-gnome-screensav
+-gnome-settings-
+-gnome-system-mo---{gnome-system-m}
+-gnome-terminal---bash---ssh
¦ +-bash---pstree
¦ +-gnome-pty-helpe
¦ +-{gnome-terminal}
+-gvfs-afc-volume---{gvfs-afc-volum}
+-gvfs-fuse-daemo---3*[{gvfs-fuse-daem}]
+-gvfs-gdu-volume
+-gvfsd
+-gvfsd-burn
+-gvfsd-http
+-gvfsd-metadata
+-gvfsd-trash
+-hald---hald-runner---hald-addon-acpi
¦ ¦ +-hald-addon-cpuf
¦ ¦ +-hald-addon-inpu
¦ ¦ +-hald-addon-stor
¦ +-{hald}
+-hotot---xdg-open
¦ +-3*[{hotot}]
+-indicator-apple
+-indicator-me-se
+-indicator-sessi
+-irqbalance
+-kded4
+-kdeinit4---kio_http_cache_
¦ +-klauncher
+-kglobalaccel
+-knotify4
+-modem-manager
+-multiload-apple
+-mysqld---10*[{mysqld}]
+-named---10*[{named}]
+-nmbd
+-notification-ar
+-notify-osd
+-pidgin---{pidgin}
+-polkitd
+-pulseaudio---gconf-helper
¦ +-2*[{pulseaudio}]
+-rsyslogd---2*[{rsyslogd}]
+-rtkit-daemon---2*[{rtkit-daemon}]
+-services.exe---plugplay.exe---2*[{plugplay.exe}]
¦ +-winedevice.exe---3*[{winedevice.exe}]
¦ +-3*[{services.exe}]
+-smbd---smbd
+-snmpd
+-sshd
+-timidity
+-trashapplet
+-udevd---2*[udevd]
+-udisks-daemon---udisks-daemon
¦ +-{udisks-daemon}
+-upowerd
+-upstart-udev-br
+-utorrent.exe---8*[winemenubuilder]
¦ +-{utorrent.exe}
+-vnstatd
+-winbindd---2*[winbindd]
+-2*[winemenubuilder]
+-wineserver
+-wnck-applet
+-wpa_supplicant
+-xinetd
System monitor and top screenshots which show the zombie process is using resources:
